Ghost Rider: Fall Of The Rider
by Choco Scorpion Bat
Summary: You all know our favorite demon hero, Ghost Rider, right? Get this. He's going down. Hard.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is my first "Fall Of" story, so go easy on me! This is going to be separated into several "books". It will be epic.

GHOST RIDER: FALL OF THE RIDER

BOOK ONE: THIS PRESENT DARKNESS

Johnny Blaze was a major daredevil all his life. Especially in his teenage years. He lived for the rush and adrenalin that his death-defying stunts brought him. He loved the feel of the wind on his cheeks, the feeling of soaring through the air, the roar of the crowd as he made the jump. It all ended with the accident. He was put in the hospital for three months. He was taken to the ICU ward for extensive burns and major injuries. Johnny Blaze was never going to ride again, was what they said. The thought crushed his soul. His motorcycle was left in the garage. It gradually collected dust. This the story of the fall of the Rider.

_**September 22, three months before**_

Johnny Blaze walked into his garage, where his chopper was waiting. He was a major grease monkey. Working on his motorcycle made him very happy. His motorbike had needed to be fixed since the last contest. A bad engine had cost him the trophy, and over six hundred thousand dollars. Luckily, he was not injured. He had picked himself up, dusted off his uniform, and shook hands with the MC. His fans had sent up a roar. Johnny grabbed his toolbox and got to work.

He grabbed a wrench and started to tighten a Knut on the inlet valve. Six turns to the right, and it was good and tight. He made sure it wasn't loose by trying to take it off. It didn't budge. Satisfied, Johnny turned his attention to the transmission. He checked it, and groaned. The 2nd and 5th gears would need to be replaced. He took a socket wrench and attached it to the gear selector shaft. The bearing bolt was soon in his hand, which placed it on the cement floor of the garage. Some improvising and wriggling soon found the 2nd gear clanging to the floor, followed by the 5th gear.

Johnny got up and went to his pegboard, which was covered with parts and tools. He scanned the board passively, and found the parts he required. He dragged a stepstool to the board and mounted it. He grabbed the gears and stepped down. He pushed the gear onto the shaft and followed with the smaller gear. He then screwed the bolt back on and replaced the transmission shaft. He examined his work with scrutiny. Satisfied, he moved on. He sought out the distributor cap. He found it.

"There you are, you little demon," he muttered. The cap had become loose, and was hanging off the distributor. He reached for it, his right arm resting on the seat. He popped the cap back on, patting it down hard. Once it was good and tight, he pulled his arm back out. It was coated in grease and oil. Johnny picked up a rag and wiped his hand off. Time to test it out. He swiped up his keys and stuck it in the ignition, turning it. The engine sputtered. He turned the key again. The engine sputtered. He turned it again, and the engine roared to life. Johnny whooped in joy, listening to the bike roar like a loin, before quieting a purr. Well, not quite a purr. It was still loud, full of strength. Johnny patted the seat.

"Let's go for a ride, baby," he said. He swung a leg over the chopper and backed out carefully. He switched gears and kicked the pedal into 1st. He revved the engine, and shot down the street like a bullet. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of speeding through the wind again. His hair ruffled in the wind, his leather jacket flapping behind him. He opened his eyes and saw a person. They locked eyes, and Johnny felt a strange feeling come over him.

Time seemed to slow down. All sound was drowned out. Then the man's face seemed to change. It was just a flash, barely a nanosecond, but Johnny could have sworn he saw the stranger's face become a skull. Then time sped up again. The bike swerved. Johnny fought it. It smashed into the sidewalk, tipped, flew, crashed into the fence, and spun around in the dirt, riding up the steps and into the door. Glass shards flew into the air as Johnny soared. He touched down onto the asphalt with a bone shattering impact, and blacked out.

There was fog all around him. It was thick. Impenetrable. Dense. Black. He could not see in front or to the sides for more than five feet. And it was silent. Deathly silence that seemed to penetrate his very core. It made him uneasy. Like a graveyard does at the Witching Hour. A sound. It sounded like crying.

"Hello?" Johnny called. No response; just more crying. Johnny stepped forward. His footfall echoed all around. He looked at the ground. Asphalt. That was when he noticed his feet. Black boots. Black boots with sharp spikes. Wait! He had been wearing tennis shoes! Panicking, he brought his hand up. Bones! On fire! He examined himself, checking all over in panic. He breathed heavily, panic rising. His jacket had changed, too. A chain was wrapped around one shoulder. Spike stood out on both. He wore a black belt with a skull on the front, and it was studded. As were the cuffs of the jacket. He saw a building. It was faint in the heavy fog. He went to it.

A window. It was dirty, but it would do. He hurried to it. He saw his reflection, and recoiled. No! It wasn't possible! He had beaten them! He couldn't be Ghost Rider anymore!


	2. Chapter 2

UH OH!

GHOST RIDER: FALL OF THE RIDER

BOOK ONE: THIS PRESENT DARKNESS

CHAPTER TWO

Johnny Blaze was panicking. How he had become Ghost Rider again, he had no idea. Panic was setting in at a frightening pace. The sobbing became louder, but soon was drowned out by screams of intense pain. Johnny spun around, looking for the source. It was to his right. He hurried over, the dense black fog obscuring his view. The sobbing was closer, and he soon stopped when a kneeling shape appeared. It was hunched over. Shaking. Flames licked Johnny's burning skull. His eyes were gone, replaced by flames that seared the very souls of evildoers. But he still saw.

"Hello?" he said, approaching cautiously. The sobbing figure did not give any sign of recognition. He stepped forward again, boots echoing in the now sudden silence. The figure became clearer. He reached out with a hand. He saw that it was a naked woman. The figure was no longer sobbing, but was shaking with shocking clarity. He touched the shoulder. Immediately, she stopped shaking. She slowly turned to face him. He stumbled backward. Roxanne! Roxanne stood up, and her head lolled to the side. Her breasts bounced as she stumbled to him. Her eyes were rolled to the back of her head, showing the whites. This wasn't Roxanne! This was some sick, twisted, demented imitation of her! She moaned and stumbled closer. Her form wasn't covered in any way. Then Johnny realized:

He was in Hell.

That's when the flames appeared. All around, great walls of fire roared upward, casting their orange and yellow glow everywhere. He was so preoccupied with the fires, that he didn't notice when the naked Roxanne grabbed him. He was surprised by her strength. She pulled him down to the ground, and began to claw him. He tried to throw her off, but could not. Wait a minute! He was the Ghost Rider, dammit! He gathered his strength, tightened his grip on the demon Roxanne, and threw her ten feet off of him. She landed with a sickening crack. Ghost Rider picked himself up and dusted off his jacket. He wasn't all that surprised when "Roxanne" got up again.

He was already holding his chain in his hands when she was on her feet. It was looped around his left and hung in the air, swinging slightly in his right. He willed it to burn, and burn it did. He chuckled darkly at the thought of burning this bitch who dared to imitate his loved. But she had a few tricks of her own. He heard the cracking of bones, and what he saw repulsed him.

The woman was moving her bones! Her clavicle moved up and stuck out, and her vertebrae repositioned itself to hold her head lower than was possible. She dislocated her jaw so that it hung sickly. Her teeth…her teeth grew into fangs, and grew longer and longer. So did her fingernails. When the process was done, she looked nothing like herself. Or itself would be more appropriate at this point. _It _gave a high pitched shriek and attacked. Ghost Rider barely had time to swing his flaming chain and defend himself. It whacked the creature in the side and sent it flying into a rock wall. Johnny chuckled at the pleasing crunch that emanated from the impact.

The demon thing slid down the rock and slumped. Pitiful. Johnny walked over to it and stood over the body. His spikes gleamed in the light of the hellfire. The creature below him struggled to get up, weak from the force of the blow it received. Johnny's chain slid between his fingers and coiled on the ground.

"I should kill you, but your not worth it," he said. He turned around to leave the thing to its fate. The monster growled in hate, and launched itself at Johnny. He sensed it before he saw it, and spun around, shooting a blaze of ethereal flame at it. It disintegrated upon impact, and the ashes fell to the ground. "Pitiful."

Johnny's body was going into convulsions. The paramedics fought to keep him still. A female, her nametag sported "Brandy", called out to one of the males. His name was "David".

"Get me 50 cc's of morphine! Stat!"

David rushed to the cabinet and swung open the doors. Vials and bottles filled it. He pushed them aside, frantically searching for the morphine. The heart monitor beeped faster and faster. The doctors struggled harder. David kept searching. There wasn't any.

"David, now!"

"There isn't any!"

"WHAT?"

"I'm looking! There isn't any more morphine!' He spun around. "We're all dry!"

Nurse Brandy looked up at him. Johnny's convulsions slowed down. The heart monitor sent out a monotone. The doctors surrounding him all looked at each other and back at him. David slowly closed the cabinet doors and joined him. Brandy took charge.

"Jacqueline! Morris! Get the defibrillator! Stat!" she ordered. Jacqueline and Morris ran out, and the rest started CPR. Brandy kept looking back at the heart monitor. Nothing. Just the same monotone.

_Where the hell are they? _Brandy thought. They came rushing back in at that moment, and Morris rubbed the shock pads together, and placed them on Johnny's chest..

"Clear!" he said. An electrical current passed through the pads and into Johnny's body, making him jerk. No beat. Morris raised the pads and repeated the process. Nothing. They looked at Brandy. "Nothing."

"Keep trying!" she said. Morris placed the pads back on his chest.

"Clear," he said. WHOOMPH! The heart monitor beeped. Brandy laughed and ran a hand through her hair. She picked up a needle and stuck it in Johnny's arm. The needle was attached to an IV, which was feeding him blood. Morris set the defibrillator down.

"Think he'll live?" he asked. Brandy shook her head.

"I don't know. Another spasm like that may be the end of him."

Roxanne burst through the glass doors of the hospital and stormed up to the desk. The receptionist stared at her in a bored manner.

"May I help you with something?" she said.

"I'm here to see Johnny Blaze. I'm his girlfriend."

"Name?"

"Roxanne Simpson. Where is he?"

"Top floor. Room 603."

Roxanne turned and headed to the elevator. She was fuming. That damn fool! What was he thinking, speeding down the street and not looking where he was going? She was going kill him. The elevator dinged and the double doors opened. She stepped aside to allow a small group of men to enter. They were dressed shabbily.

"Which floor?" she addressed them. The older one looked at her. He grinned at her toothily. His teeth were rotting.

"Top, Miss."

She pressed the button. A hand rested on her shoulder. She followed it to the same person who had addressed her.

"Yes?"

"That's a mighty nice skirt you got on there," he said. He grinned again. Roxanne tried to shrug his hand off, but he had a grip like steel.

"Uh, thanks. Please get your hand off me."

The man chuckled, and looked at his friends. God! Why was this elevator so damn slow? The shabby man looked back at her and advanced.

"How 'bout you show me and my buddies some more of that fine body of yours?" he said, and stuck a hand up her skirt. Roxanne gasped and fought him, but failed. The man pulled her skirt down, revealing her panties, and ripped open her shirt. Roxanne was glad she had decided to wear a bra. She struggled again. Why couldn't someone just call the elevator? Why? The filthy man fondled her breasts, squeezing them. One of his cronies advanced. The man leaned in, and Roxanne smelled his putrid breath. It made her gag. The man intended to rape her. He rubbed her thigh, moving his hand to her underwear. He began to rub her there, starting gently, then harder. Roxanne gasped, and struggled violently. It was futile. The elevator finally stopped, and the doors opened. But there was no one there. The gang moved in. Roxanne closed her eyes. This was it.

"Stop."

It wasn't her that spoke. It was male. It was deep. It was strong. It was menacing. The would-be rapists turned to face the new threat to their fun. It would be the last thing they ever saw.


	3. Chapter 3

WHAT HAPPENS?

GHOST RIDER: FALL OF THE RIDER

BOOK ONE: THIS PRESENT DARKNESS

CHAPTER THREE

Ghost Rider glared at the lowlifes before him with pure hatred. The yellow and blue flames encasing his skull flared to bright white in rage. The thugs cowered in terror, visibly shuddering. Roxanne backed away, and wrapped her arms around her breasts, shielding them from view, and crossed her knees over her pubic area. Johnny growled, a hatred so powerful, so dangerous, flowed through his body. The sensation caused him to shudder, and it felt good. He stepped forward, leaving a trail of tiny flames in his wake.

The shabby man in front cowered, sinking to his knees. Ghost Rider's head grinned in his black eyes. He chuckled darkly, and popped out his shoulder spikes, one by one. He leaned forward and grabbed the bastard. The man started to whimper, and struggled weakly to escape his steel grasp. He quit and stared into his eyes. Ghost Rider growled.

"Look into my eyes. See your sins and pay for your crimes," he growled. The thug opened his mouth and wailed, his sins and crimes flashing before his eyes. He saw the pregnant woman he had murdered for five dollars. She screamed as he stabbed her. Then he saw the high school girl, who was only fifteen at the time he had raped her. She lay on the ground, sobbing as the rain poured, her clothing nothing more than rags. The funeral of the cop he shot in the back after he had released him from prison. The man's eyes became rock hard and, and he stopped screaming. Ghost Rider threw him to the ground.

He stared at the group.

"Which one of you bitches is next?" he snarled. They looked at their dead leader, then back at him. The one with a red hat pushed his companion in front as shield. The man stumbled to his knees.

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God, no!" he chattered. Ghost Rider chuckled.

"I'm not God," he said as he grabbed him, "but you can tell him what I did with your punk ass when you see Him. Give Him my thanks."

He slammed his head into the metal doors, murderously satisfied with the crack. The man's body slid to the floor, leaving a bloody trail down the doors. Ghost Rider pointed at the last one.

"You. Go to Hell." The man erupted into flames, causing Roxanne to scream. The thug screamed and writhed, before becoming still. He was black as charcoal, and smoke rose in wispy curls. Ghost Rider looked at Roxanne, the flames blue. He slowly walked over to her. She cowered in fear. He extended a hand, wanting her to take it. He would never hurt her.

She slowed her heart rate, staring at the…man…before her. She looked at his outstretched hand, and hesitated to touch it. This hand had just killed three men. Three men that had just tried to rape her, violate her, hurt her. A hand that had just saved her life. She grabbed it.

Ghost Rider immediately switched into Johnny. He screamed, and Roxanne jumped back. The flames disappeared, leaving the skull, which was quickly covered by muscle, then skin, then hair. The flesh glowed bright red, before cooling down. The spikes shrunk. Johnny Blaze kneeled there before her, groaning and grunting. Roxanne knelt down in front of him, and touched his face gently. He grabbed her. They stared at each other.

"Thank you, thank you, thank," she said. "Thank you-"

He kissed her. She closed her eyes, and responded. They remained like that for several minutes, before he broke it. He had a sudden ache in his head, and he squeezed his eyes shut, grunting. He stumbled to his seat, holding the side of his head. Roxanne was at his side in seconds.

"Johnny! Johnny, what is it!" she said.

He grabbed her arm, locking his eyes on hers.

"Run!" he grunted. "Run! Now! They're here!" He released his grip. Roxanne took off down the hall. She had a pretty good thought of who "they" was, and had no desire to see them. Johnny groaned in pain, and stood up, clutching his head in agony. His eyes burned yellow, and smoked. Demonic laughter echoed all around. Johnny screamed as his eyeballs erupted into flames. Smoke poured from his ears and rose from his hair. Small tongues of flame popped up from his hair and arms. He turned red from the heat.

Plumes of smoke appeared all around. The laughter grew. The demons appeared and crowded him. They pushed him to the ground, and piled on top of him. In an instant, he burst out of the pile. He roared in fury, and blasted the demons off of him. He was the Rider again. He slowly pointed an old man, who stood there placidly. He had grey hair, and dressed like an aristocrat.

"You!" Ghost Rider growled deeply. "Damn you!"

Mephistopheles grinned slightly and chuckled.

"You cannot damn the damned, Johnny."


End file.
